Best Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Alternative (FREE)

What Is Microsoft Deployment Toolkit?

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) is a free deployment tool released by Microsoft to automate Windows and Windows Server operating system deployment. And available in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and Windows Server 2008 (R2), 2012 (R2), 2016, 2019. Windows users can use MDT make reference image (WIM files) and deploy them to multiple target computers.

After installing Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, run the Deployment Workbench app in the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit group to deploy Windows images to multiple computers. However, it’s difficult to deploy images even for IT Professionals due to the complex settings.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Problems

Besides, you might encounter the following image deployment fail situations:

In addition, MDT does not support Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. Thus, many users wondering if is there any free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative to deploy image to multiple computers.

MDT Alternative for Windows 11 - AOMEI Image Deploy Free

Fortunately, there is an easy-to-use and free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative - AOMEI Image Deploy Free, which allows you to deploy or restore an image to multiple computers at a time over the network. It supports all Windows operating systems, even the latest Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

Please download it to have a try.

In addition, you need the help of free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Stanard if you are using the standalone image deployment software. As it does not support creating a system image or disk image on any computer.

Easily Deploy Windows 11 Image to Multiple Computers

Here we will show you how the Windows 11 deployment tool - AOMEI Image Deploy works. The steps are divided into 3 parts, namely create a Windows 11 image, create image deployment configuration, and deploy images to different computers.

Step 1. Create a Windows 11 image for deployment

1. Download free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard and install it on the computer with everything you want. Then, go to the Backup tab and choose System Backup.

2. Tape the inverted triangle icon and Select a network location.

3. Click Add Share or NAS Devices, then input the Network Path (IP address of the NAS or network share) and choose a folder to save Windows 11 image file. Then click OK.

4. Click Start Backup>> to create Windows 11 system image file.

Step 2. Windows 11 image deployment Configuration

1. Install AOMEI Image Deploy to a computer as a server computer, and other destination computers as clients. Ensure all the computers stay in the same network segment within LAN.

2. Make sure all the destination computers are connected to a wired LAN and support the Network Boot (PXE Boot). Set the PXE boot as the first boot order in BIOS for all destination computers.

​3. Verify that the disk sequence numbers for system deployment in client computers are the same. For example, deploy image to disk 0. 

4. Please install Windows AIK/ADK on the server computer if you are running a previous version of Windows 7 or the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is missing, and then you can create WinPE successfully.

Step 3. How to deploy Windows image to Multiple Computers

1. Install and run AOMEI Image Deploy Free. Choose Create WinPE automatically and press Next.

2. It will create a WinPE automatically and show you the message "The service has started, waiting for connect..." when the WinPE created is complete.

3. Start all the client computers to boot from PXE and then you will see the AOMEI Image Deploy Client window, stating the local IP, server IP, and connection status.

4. Once your client computers access Windows PE successfully, it will display on the server computer. You can distinguish them by their IP address on AOMEI Image Deploy. Then, tick I confirm all the client computers which need to be deployed are online when all clients connected and click Next.

5. Click Browse button to select the Windows 11 image file from NAS or network share or just choose the Windows 11 ISO file as the source Windows 10 image file. Then, set up the Windows 11 image deployment settings and press the Start Deploy button.

6. Then, it will start the  Windows 11 image deployment process, showing the restore percentages for each client. You can choose Restart PC or Shut Down the clients once the deployment is completed.

The Epilogue

Compared with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit alternative - AOMEI Image Deploy Free is easier to operate and relaible to use. You can follow the steps above to deploy images to multiple computers simultaneously without effort, even for Windows 11.

If you would like to create, manage and monitor backups for all clients within your company from one central console, please try AOMEI Centralized Backupper. You can also backup VMware, hyper-v, MSSQL, etc.